The fallen politician criticized the prosecutors for their handling of the case. “I’ve been targeted. I’ve been smeared, tarnished, and for some reason some of the stances that I took after Katrina did not sit well with some very powerful people, so now I’m paying the price for that,” he lamented. “The prosecutors were fairly magical in their ability to take something that supposedly happened and paint it as reality ... I was not aware of any of that stuff. I was not involved in any kind of bribes.”

As the politician prepares for the day he has to report to prison, he says he has already been speaking to his family and was just waiting to see what happens. “I continue to pray and ask God for strength. I talked to my family a lot. They’re dealing with it as best they can, and we’ll see what the future holds. September 8 is a date that’s out there right now, but who knows what the future is going to [bring]?” he said.